lonely

[ lohn-lee ]

adjective

, lone·li·er, lone·li·est.

1. affected with, characterized by, or causing a depressing feeling of being alone; lonesome.
2. destitute of sympathetic or friendly companionship, intercourse, support, etc.:

   a lonely exile.

3. lone; solitary; without company; companionless.
4. remote from places of human habitation; desolate; unfrequented; bleak:

   a lonely road.

   Synonyms: unpopulated, uninhabited

5. standing apart; isolated:

   a lonely tower.

   Synonyms: secluded

lonely

/ ˈləʊnlɪ /

adjective

1. unhappy as a result of being without the companionship of others

   a lonely man

2. causing or resulting from the state of being alone

   a lonely existence

3. isolated, unfrequented, or desolate
4. without companions; solitary

Derived Forms

• ˈloneliness, noun

Other Words From

• loneli·ly adverb
• loneli·ness loneli·hood noun
• un·lonely adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of lonely¹

First recorded in 1600–10; lone + -ly

Synonym Study

See alone.

Example Sentences

They lead an isolated and often lonely life, the women agreed.

From Science Daily

“It felt very lonely — no one else was doing that. We looked around for allies — other pro-nuclear groups. … There just weren’t very many.”

From Los Angeles Times

All three can also be self-reinforcing over time: people who are lonely and socially isolated may become frailer, and as they become frailer, their sense of isolation and loneliness grows.

From Science Daily

It depicts a girl who decides to send a present to a boy who is feeling lonely, a nod to the retailer's toy bank scheme.

From BBC

Many of them aren't necessarily lonely: They meet interested men out and about, and have plenty of friends to keep them company.

From Salon

Related Words

• deserted
• desolate
• destitute
• empty
• homeless
• isolated
• lonesome
• reclusive
• solitary